The Rose of the Moonlight
by SuzukiJirotto
Summary: A girl from the village is privileged to settle in a lofty castle on the slope of a mountain.What kind of stories await when she meets a charming young man as they spend time together? Take a peek into a woman's beautiful tale of life and love.


It was a fine day like any other in the tranquil yet populous town of the far western valley. The sun shone brilliantly in the early morning sky like an everlasting ornament as roosters cried out marking the beginning of a new set of stories and adventures. Though nobody would have expected one of these stories to start in a small shack of a small rural hamlet overlooked by a magnificent castle.

In this shack lived a woman who appeared to be in her late twenties. She was a seemingly ordinary lady who worked very hard day and night, and lived alone in her tiny hovel, not entertaining any suitors and wearing but the shabbiest of clothes. But despite her lifestyle, people could have said that she was a happy person even though at times, it seemed that she lacked a certain spark to her liveliness. She always got up every waking day of her life with a broad smile on her face.

Besides her job as a helper in the nearby farm, she was also known for the stories she told, especially among the youth. Every Saturday, people would gather around the grassy plains in the outskirts of town and listen to every exciting story she has to tell. Every week was a new tale to be told and today wasn't an exception.

A few people from different part of the town grouped together round a small patch of grass as the woman sat on a rock and looked at her audience. There were five rascally children from the orphanage across the street, two teens from the same orphanage that seemed to be watching over the five children and an old man whose face she couldn't make out. It was a smaller crowd than last week's but she began her story nevertheless.

"Now, does anyone here believe that love knows no time and end? That it's everlasting and waits forever?" She spoke in a soft, yet clear and soothing voice that beckoned anyone who heard it to listen intently. A few from her audience raised their hands in response. "Not all of you think so? Then this story will make you think otherwise.

"It all took place in a far away valley, just like ours. There was a peaceful village," she pointed at the bustling village a small distance off, "and a large and beautiful castle silently resting atop a petite mountain." She then pointed at the semi-distant castle. Though quite eerie in the presence of a beholder, it presented an almost dreamlike realism to the story's imagery.

And with this kind of setting, the woman's audience fell into a whole other world filled with the splendor of her stories.

The storm that night raged on like no other. Not a soul could be found braving the storm's fury. Nobody even dared to step out and face the gale beating down the small hamlet of the valley. None at all… save for a young teenage girl. In the pitch-black darkness, she unfalteringly battled the strong winds as she held on to the edge of a cliff; she was struggling for her life.

Furious waves incessantly crashed on the rocks below her. Roaring thunder rumbled in the heavens above her. Hair and raindrops got in her face. Her grip was sliding. Her heart couldn't take much more pressure. Part of the cliff she was hanging onto crumbled from her weight. She could feel herself falling… falling.

Thunder continued to roll overhead. Violent waves carried the girl's body off into the ocean. Nobody saw what had happened that night and nobody could have done anything about it.

Day came and the storm soon subsided. People from the village started coming out of their houses. It seemed like they had survived another vicious hurricane. Though little did they know that they were already missing a member of their little community.

On the other side of the peninsula, not too far off, a girl had been washed ashore. For several hours, she lay on the hot white sand, occasionally being splashed by waves of the low tide. But just as a passing bird was about to rest on her head, she suddenly began to cough and splutter. She opened her eyes and with a bit of difficulty, stood up on her wobbly knees.

The scenery that lay before her had her mesmerized. It had to be the most beautiful scenery she had ever seen. Sparkling white sand stretched from the shoreline far up to the base of a small mountain where the greenest of foliage burst past its slope in an almost artificial style of perfection. The looming castle, which was surrounded by towering stone walls, sat on the peak of the mountain like a proud condor, over everything else, quietly observing its subjects.

The girl took a step forward and walked past the shore on her bare feet. Then, she saw something that she hadn't noticed a while ago. There was a narrow stone path that led up to the fortress. She climbed up the winding pathway.

On the way to the top, she could have sworn that she heard the sound of running water past the trees. Though she didn't stop to check and went on further up the path.

It was a long journey but she soon made it to the top; she was at the very foot of the large castle's walls. Right in front of her was what seemed to be an underground passageway that led to the inside of the castle itself. Though she thought that there was still something missing, like she was forgetting something very important. A sharp pain in the back of her head told her not to think too much about it as she continued further on.

The girl felt her way through the dim tunnel, climbed through a hole on the stone wall and ended up in a creepy-looking cellar. She found the door, turned on the knob and went outside. The stunning view made her gape in awe.

Past an open hallway lined with several Romanesque pillars, vases, suits of armor, expensive-looking draping and long red carpets and intricately designed stained glass murals lay an enormous an magnificent garden, beauty unmatched, even to the wondrous scenery outside of the castle. Flowers of every color appeared to have blossomed on every bush, tree and patch of soil. Perfectly trimmed hedges lined the miniature stone paths that twisted round the very center, which beheld the grandest fountain the girl had ever laid eyes on. Above the garden, in the clear blue sky, the sun shone brightly amongst the most immaculate of clouds. She could even hear birds chirping in the nearby trees.

It was all seemed so beautiful, so spectacular… but even though she knew that she shouldn't be there at all, the curious teenager stepped out into the castle's garden. The aroma, the ambience, the environment of it all. She could have just fallen backwards onto the soft grass and lay there forever. She was definitely trespassing but she wanted to stay and live here until the very day she dies. She felt like she had no more home to return to.

Though her fantasies were interrupted by a voice.

"Please, don't step on the grass," it said in a tone as soothing as the water flowing from the fountain in the center. The girl jumped and thought of a quick excuse.

"I-I'm sorry, I just got lost. I'll be leaving now." She hurriedly turned around and started for the cellar but the voice stopped her.

"Wait, you don't have to leave so soon." Someone emerged from an archway decorated with vines and flowers. It was a young man, just about the girl's age. "This is the very first time we've had guests from the village. Please, stay a while." The girl looked at his face. He was extremely handsome and his brilliant-looking clothes and golden hair could have sparkled in the sunlight. He was completely unlike her, who was just an ordinary girl with no dresses to boast at all.

"I believe you came in from the hole in the cellar? What brings you here?" he spoke in a highly sophisticated manner as he beckoned her to come sit with him on the bench under the archway. The nervous teenager hesitantly obeyed. As they sat down, she answered, "Truthfully… I don't know." It was true, though. She had no idea what she was doing before she woke up on the shoreline. She didn't know how she got there. The pain on the back of her head persisted.

"You don't know? Hmm… you look drenched. You didn't _swim_ all the way here, did you?" The boy chuckled a bit.

"I'm not sure. I just… ended up on the shore. I must've fallen into the sea or something."

"You're telling me you simply _drifted _ashore from the middle of the ocean?" He said with a little shock on his face. The girl fell silent and looked into his clear blue eyes, telling him that he was absolutely correct. "It can't be… Are you feeling okay?" He placed his hand on the girl's head though she flinched because of the pain.

Something was missing and she had to know exactly what. Even though the pain made her feel dizzy, she thought some more as the pain grew and grew. Then, her chest started to ache terribly as well. She could hear the boy's worried voice echoing in her ears. Her vision was swaying, fading away. He stomach wrenched before her body fell to the ground. She was in darkness once again.

An entire day passed. The girl felt that she was lying on something soft. She could hear voices conversing with each other right beside her. She slowly opened her eyes and expected to see the blue sky above her but instead, she saw a stone ceiling with an elegant chandelier hanging from it.

"Ah, it seems that she has awakened.," A tired old voice had spoken.

"Thank goodness," the other said with relief. The girl recognized this soothing voice. She looked to her right and saw an old man wearing a black suit. Beside him stood the young man she had spoken in the garden.

"Now, before anything else, may we ask for the young lady's name?" Her name. What was her name? She felt her injury. Medical tape had been tied around her head while she was unconscious. Then she suddenly remembered.

"My name is Rosa."

"I see… then where did you come from, miss Rosa?" The young man asked. Though Rosa didn't answer. She didn't remember anything about her origins. The only thing she knew was her name.

The old man thought for a while then concluded, "I believe miss Rosa is suffering from a case of amnesia. It was a good thing the wound in her head wasn't too severe or things would have been fatal, indeed. But not to worry, just a couple of weeks' rest and her memory might return."

The young man expressed his relief. "My deepest gratitude, sir Burns."

"Now, young lady." The old man named Burns tried to catch her attention. "Would it be all right with you if you were to spend a few weeks of your resting time here in the castle? Or would you prefer to head back to the village and see if someone recognizes you?" he suggested.

But it didn't take Rosa too long to decide. "I want to stay here, please!" she said with excitement. Actually, she meant that she never wanted to leave this castle, not until she regained her memories, at least.

"It is decided, then. Oh, and young master, please take care of our little guest." The old man grinned as he turned to exit the room. The door closed and there was an awkward silence between the two teens. This gave Rosa the chance to look around.

Beside the bed she lay on was a large glass window that was embroidered with a graceful mesh of steel frame. There was a full-body mirror, a dresser, a glossy-looking closet and a carpet, which depicted an elegant flower shrouded by thorns. The young man broke the silence.

"Erm, I believe I still haven't introduced myself. My name is Lunaire," he said, bowing. He then took a seat on Rosa's bedside and they talked.

A whole day seemed to fly right past with Rosa's questions about life in this castle. Lunaire was glad to have shared his experiences with her, though he truly wanted to know more about her. He just couldn't get much stories out of her. Nighttime fell yet the two still hadn't run out of things to say to each other.

Days turned into weeks as the two spent everyday roaming about the large castle and chatting with the maids and the cooks. Every day was a new adventure for Rosa, who never got tired of being around Lunaire. This continued on for a long while until a certain night came.

As the two were talking to each other in Rosa's room, Burns, the old man, knocked on the door and came in. "Master Lunaire, your parents have finally come back from the city. Has miss Rosa regained some of her strength so that she may join master Lunaire with his parents on the dinner table?"

Just one day had passed by and yet she was already being invited to dine with a family this wealthy? Rosa felt a bit bad because of her freeloading so she hesitated to reply. "Well, if it's all right with them, then I guess I could."

"Splendid! I bet mom and dad would love to see a new guest here." Lunaire expressed his gladness as Burns walked toward the closet in the corner of the room. He opened the closet and inside, a colorful array of dresses of every kind hung, just waiting to be worn.

"Pick whatever dress you fancy." Burns happily presented.

Rosa's eyes widened as she felt through several dresses, some made of cotton, others made of silk. "We'll leave you for a while so you can pick what you like and dress into it. Come on, master Lunaire."

Rosa soon picked a dress that had caught her eye. It was a simple white dress with a few frilly edges and a pretty ribbon on its rear. After she had dressed, she was accompanied by the two men down to the dining area. She had never been there before, since Burns always brought her food to her room as the two teens ate together.

Even while passing through the hallways and stairs, she couldn't help but be awed by the brightly lit torches and expensive furniture along the way. The doors to the dining room itself were enormous and she couldn't have expected less in the room's interior. From the high ceiling hung a gigantic chandelier that illuminated the entire room. The was a long table in the center, good enough to seat ten people, though it had only four chairs place on each side. On the table, different kinds of dishes she had never seen before were already prepared. Two of the chairs on the table were already occupied by two people. They were obviously Lunaire's parents.

His father was a well-built man with brown hair and a serious expression on his face. His mother was a slender woman with long, beautiful golden hair like his. Her expression was probably even worse.

Rosa thought twice about wanting to sit down along with them but had no other choice when Lunaire pulled out her chair for her and beckoned her to do so. The eager young man was the last to sit down whilst Burns stood watching from a far corner.

There was a short period of silence, which Rosa totally disliked. She hated Luranire's parents' expressions even more. Then his father spoke.

"Lunaire, we will talk later. You know very well, what it is about. Rosa shuddered to think about what it was. They all said grace before eating.

After that night, Rosa wasn't just full of food, but beautiful memories as well. She just couldn't seem to shake away the sense of impending doom Lunaire's parents gave her.

Burns escorted her to her room as the rest of the family bid goodnight to each other. "I hope you sleep well this night, miss Rosa. See you tomorrow."

She closed the bedroom door behind her and didn't do anything else except fall onto her bed and drift off into a deep sleep. That night, a vivid dream entered her mind.

She was standing on the shoreline she was washed upon the day before. She was staring into the vast horizon. The endless ocean was a dark blue and the sky was shining a dazzling twilight of orange and violet. She could hear a song… a song coming from a piano far into the ocean. It was playing a very soothing song. Then, the sound started to grow fainter. She ran towards the fading music, straight into the sea. But it was totally gone. She looked at her reflection in the water of the ocean and saw a flower instead of her own face. A beautiful white rose with falling petals. She started to sink into the ocean floor… opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling of her room in the castle. Warm rays of light that shone through the window told her that it was already morning.

Rosa got up, went to her closet and changed into another white dress, similar to the one she was wearing the night before. She realized that she had a dream last night… but barely remembered what it was about. She stood by the window and looked out of the window. From her room, she could see the beautiful garden below, several open walkways, a large pond, an even larger hedge maze, the towering stone castle walls and outside of it, something she hadn't seen on the way up to the top. Beside the trailing stone path that led from the shore, past trees streamed a wide river that flowed from the side of the castle all the way down to the ocean. So _that_ was what she heard on the way to the castle. She had to see it up close, she thought.

But at present, she had no one to accompany her there. She felt her chest for a while. Lunaire shouldn't know about the heart ailment she has. She wouldn't want him to pamper her too much.

As she waited for someone to knock on her door, she tinkered with the things on her dresser. She noticed a small box with a figure of a dancing ballerina in top. She opened the music box and a sweet song from the orgel played. She suddenly felt different… like the music was reaching out to her, imploring her to act like the ballerina on the music box' cover.

Rosa got up and started to dance. Dancing… what was there about it that made her recall part of her memory. She remembered that she was dancing on the cliff's edge before the storm hit. It was like she was in some sort of trance.

She music box continued to play as she danced, raising her arms and crossing her feet. Then, someone entered the room. Rosa immediately stopped dancing and looked at who had interrupted her.

It was Lunaire, who seemed to be truly apologetic for barging in. "Oh, I… I'm really sorry for interrupting you like that. I thought you were still asleep. I guess I should have knocked."

Rosa closed the music box, which was still playing the song. "No, it's okay. I don't really mind," though she appeared to be a bit embarrassed. "Hmm? What about you, sir Lunaire? You seem deeply troubled."

It was true. He cleared his throat and told her what was on his mind. "I'm afraid I've come bearing saddening news." He hesitated as he spoke. "My parents… don't approve of your staying here in the castle. They want you to be sent back to the village as soon as possible." Lunaire looked even more depressed than Rosa for she had already seen this coming from the very moment she laid eyes on his parents.

"Well, it's not you fault. I shouldn't have been here in the first place." She was, indeed, terribly let down. She wanted to stay in this castle and live with Lunaire forever… but she had to be going soon.

"I wish there was a way I could have persuaded them to let you stay." The troubled young man narrated what had happened last night between him and his parents.

"Son! How could you do this? How could you be so friendly with someone from the village and treat her like an equal? She's different from us!" His angry father scolded him. His mother, too, joined in.

"Lunaire, associating with graceless people like _her_ will ultimately turn you into one of _them!_ And I really don't want that to happen to you." Lunaire couldn't believe his ears.

"But dad, mom! How can you be so cruel to someone you haven't even conversed with? I know miss Rosa is from the village but she is the only guest we've had in a very long time." He tried to reason out but it all fell on deaf ears.

"Enough of this. I will not allow it!"

"But dad, I really like her! Please, let her stay, at least until she recovers!" the desperate young man pleaded.

"No. She is going back to the village and that is final!" His father marched out of the room and slammed the door, concluding the discussion.

"Son, please understand us. We're doing this for your own good." His mother tried to comfort him. "If you want, we can send you back home, back into the big city where you can make more friends. With people like you and I."

He quickly denied the offer. "No, thank mom. The only reason I left the city was to get _away_ from those kinds of people. I hope you understand _me_." His mother gave up trying to console him, turn around and went back to her own room.

Lunaire ended his narration with a deep sigh. "Though I managed to convince them to let you leave later tonight instead of this morning."

Just one more day. One more day she could spend with Lunaire in this room, talking about the simple ups and downs of life. The hours flew by too quickly for Rosa to accept, yet the two cherished every moment of it. After this, no longer would they be sharing each other's experiences with the sun still shining through the window. Night had thus arrived yet Burns still hadn't knocked to inform them about dinner. And as she looked out of the window, she came up with an idea.

"The river…"

Lunaire didn't hear what she just said. "Excuse me?"

"Let's go down to the river over there before I leave later. I want to see what it's like." She pointed outside of the window. He couldn't have been more pleased with the idea.

"Let's go, then, immediately!" He took her hand and they ran off. Past several hallways, down flights of stairs, out into the garden and down the underground passageway in the hole of the cellar. Rosa was getting a bit tired so Lunaire lessened his pace as they walked past trees beyond the stone path. And as they came into an opening, Rosa was awed once again.

There was, indeed, a river that flowed endlessly down the side of the mountain. The luminous moon looked as if it was dancing mysteriously on the surface of the water. Several stars overhead formed wisps of light complementing the moon's graceful waltz. The whole river glimmered with the magnificence of nighttime. Rosa smiled at Lunaire, who seemed to be glad that _she_ was glad. "Why don't you dance?"

Rosa was surprised by the request. "M-Me? Dance?" No, she couldn't. It was too embarrassing.

Lunaire eyed her from top to bottom. "Your dress makes you look so beautiful under the moon, Rosa." She felt a bit shy and uneasy, but before long, his voice calmed her down. She slowly lifted her arms and started to dance. With the chirping crickets to cheer her on and with the moon and stars as her audience, she danced gracefully like a ballerina on the most spectacular stage. Left, right, step, turn, swing and sway. On and on, she continued to dance with her eyes shut tight. Suddenly, the sound of a piano caused her to stop dancing. She turned toward the sound and saw Lunaire sitting in front of a gleaming black piano.

"Oh, don't stop dancing." He continued to play a soothing song that completely filled her soul. "Please, keep on dancing." And she did dance to the charming melody of the piano. She didn't bother to ask what a piano was doing by the river, though this time they shared with each other did last forever.

"You look like a rose. A beautiful dancing white rose under the mystifying light of the moon up in the sky. Rosa, I promise you that whilst I'm still alive, I will continue to play this song for you. Just as long as you promise to keep on dancing for me."

She didn't answer and just kept on dancing. Though this answer was enough for Lunaire to understand. Then, out of the blue, Rosa spoke. "If the time comes that we ever get separated, please promise me that you will search for me until time itself stops. And I will wait for you, no matter how long that may be." Lunaire nodded, trying to hide the smile on his face.

And at that very moment, all of Rosa's memories returned as if a spell had been cast on her. She remembered everything about her past, her family and friends. That was the most magical night she had ever spent.

The sound of classical music being played on the piano enveloped the surrounding air as the storytelling woman's audience gradually fell back into the real world.

She shifted her seat on the rock she sat on and viewed the expressions of her audience. The children were in awe, the teenagers were in disbelief, and the old man seemed too be smiling. The storyteller paused for a while and looked up at the sky. It was already noon. This was a longer story than usual, she thought. Then, she asked them, "Do you know what happens after that?" She looked back at them and didn't wait for them to answer. "After that night, Rosa went back to the village. She went back to her family who were absolutely relieved to see that she was all right and she continued to live on as though little had changed. Though she did tell and retell her experiences with Lunaire inside the castle to the children of the town. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Doesn't sound very believable, does it?" The woman chuckled.

"What was a piano doing by the river side? Why did Rosa's memories return on that very night? It was all because Lunaire had planned for it all to happen. He made sure that Rosa was placed I a room where she could see the river below. He asked some of his servants to move his piano to that location. Rosa didn't notice all of this.

"And that leaves one more question to answer: Just what was she doing on the stormy night she fell off the cliff? She was, of course, dancing.

Now, every night, when everyone in the village was already asleep, she would get up ascend the mountain path and into the opening where she had once danced with Lunaire. There, she would meet him, waiting for her to dance for him once more. Night after night, she returned to the same spot so that they would spend the night with each other. And this is where the story resumes.

An entire year had passed and yet the two still saw each other almost every night. The river bank was their usual meeting place, as the moonlit night was their stage. Rosa and Lunaire had grown closer to each other in that span of time. Too close, in fact, to be separated at all. Their love for each other had increased and yet so did Rosa's heart ailment. The pain started to grow by the day and she began to fear for her life. But that didn't stop her from wanting to see him.

One night, as the two lovers spent their time sharing their experiences for that day, Rosa's heart started to ache terribly. She grasped her chest while breathing heavily. Lunaire was alarmed by her sudden attack though caught her body as it fell to the ground.

"Rosa! Hang in there!" he called out as he rushed her back into the castle and alerted Burns about the situation. The groggy old man took Rosa to her room and there, he tended to her.

"Don't worry, young master," Burns said as he noticed Lunaire worriedly tapping his foot on the floor. "She will be alright for now. But the truth is that miss Rosa has a heart disease and I'm afraid it may become chronic in a few years. Might I ask you to watch over her very carefully."

It was like his spirit had totally been drained out of him. Lunaire dreaded to think about what might happen to Rosa in the near future. From that day forth, he vowed to protect his most precious one no matter what may happen.

Yet to his utter terror, his parents barged into the room and saw Rosa lying unconscious on the bed. The commotion Lunaire had caused seemed to wake them up. His father was totally enraged.

"Lunaire! Haven't I told you _never_ to meet with this girl ever again?! And with anyone else from the village for that matter?!"

"Yes, you did, father."

"And you still have the never to disobey me?!"

"I love Rosa, father! And I _strongly_ believe that she loves me too. I do love you too, mom and dad. Rosa is no exception. You can stop-"

"Enough!! I've heard enough, young man. This filthy _bimbo_ has poisoned your mind! That's _it_. First thing in the morning, you are heading back into the city. _Where you belong_."

Lunaire was flabbergasted. "W-What?! But father, I-"

"I said enough, Lunaire. If you disobey me one more time, then I…" He had trouble getting the words to come out of his mouth. "Then I will disown you as my son." His father's face had darkened while his mother was on the verge of tears; she couldn't do anything, couldn't say anything at all.

Lunaire couldn't believe what was happening. Here his parents were, commanding him to go back to the place he willfully left, leaving the love of his life behind him.

He didn't want to leave her. He thought of trying to run away from home and elope with her. But how would Rosa feel about that? He thought for a while. He reminisced about the times he had spent with her and pondered on all the things she had said to him. A single line struck him: I will wait for you, no matter how long that may be."

He made his decision, thinking twice and making sure he made the right one.

Rosa slept soundly until morning came. She was completely oblivious to last night's string of events.

She woke up to the sound of several singing birds. The very first thing she saw was the tattered ceiling of her real home. She got up, having completely no idea how she got there. She remembered the attack she had the night before and nothing after that. She decided to go up the mountain later that night and ask Lunaire what had happened. In the meantime, she spent the rest of the day working in the nearby farm.

After hours of fun with her beloved neighbors and friends, Rosa felt darkness leisurely cover the land as the moon's enchanting magic charm filled her heart with the same hopeful spirit. She went up the path she passed every night and headed into the area past the trees… but no one was there. She sat and waited for hours but no one came. Though her anxiety instantly lifted when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around but only saw Burns, the aged butler, walking up to her.

"Miss Rosa, I have come bearing terrible news," he said in a mournful voice. She didn't like the sound of it at all. "Master Lunaire… isn't here anymore."

Burns explained everything that happened last night to Rosa. And all she could do was to drop down onto the grassy ground with tears flowing like the eternally gushing river right beside her. Her mind was exploding with thoughts.

"You promised me… that you'd play for me forever." He sobbing grew uncontrollably. "I hadn't even bid you farewell." Her arms and legs shook as she shivered from the cold of the night. She stood up and shouted into the dark of night.

"You promised to play the piano like you always did! I want to dance with you forever, to the melody of our song, under the moon with this dress, which I always wore, which I always kept protected, as you are my prince… and I am your white rose of the moonlight!"

She cried and cried, as Burns tried to comfort her. Though she knew that Lunaire would definitely return. He promised her that he would continue to search for her until time itself stopped ticking. And she would wait evermore until the time God takes her life and they both meet in heaven.

"I will wait. I'll always be waiting for the day you return. And we'll dance together by the river bank, with the moonlit night as our stage like the very first time we danced."

And with those final words, the woman ended her story. This time, her audience were all smiling and clapping and the old man appeared to be in tears. The storyteller stood up and said, "Well, that concludes this week's story. I hope you all had fun. See you all again next week!" The children and the teenagers bid her a warm good day before they went back to the orphanage, though the old man remained. There seemed to be something he wanted to say to her.

"May I help you, sir?" she asked.

He was still crying. "Are you Rosa?"

"No… Rosa is my mother." The curious woman answered. The old man looked shocked.

"Your mother? Tell me, miss, who is your father?"

There was something really strange about this old man, the woman thought. But she still answered his question. "Mom told me before that my father left a long time ago, before I was born. Wait a second… don't tell me…" The woman looked just as astonished as the old man. Tears still flowing from his eyes, the old man embraced her.

"Are you my father?" Tears started to build up in her eyes as well.

"Yes! Yes, my dear. Now, where is your mother? Where is Rosa?" He asked her immediately. She then took his hand and told him to follow her. "Come, mom has been waiting for you this whole time!" Lunaire, who was now wrinkly and aged, was overjoyed to have heard that. They both raced up the stone path, all the way up the mountain, past numerous trees and into the open space where the river still was.

They both saw the black piano, still situated firmly on the same spot and beside it……

Beside it, a pretty white dress that gallantly waved in the breeze. Lunaire was at a complete loss for words. He didn't even think of crying more than he was now. He slowly approached the piano, sat on its dusty chair, placed his hands on the keys and played a sweet song. The same song he had promised to play once again for Rosa. And she did dance.

The white dress she always wore was attached to a large wooden cross that was driven into the ground. Beside the flag-like dress stood a small stone slab and on its façade, a picture of a beautiful flower was carved. Around the patch of dirt and soil of the grave grew several white roses.

That was the very first time the two lovers had met beside the river, not beneath the moon, the stars and the vast night sky, but under the blinding light of the afternoon sun.

**THE END.**


End file.
